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Day 9: Suckers:
Welcome to day 9! Today, we’re discussing how you grow determines how you push through adversity to pursue the Son at all costs!

I made the mistake one time of never digging up some old tree stumps in the hopes that they would one day grow back strong and beautiful again. Fast forward, and I found myself celebrating the signs of new life growing around the damaged trees—I could no longer see the damage, only the growth around it!

Amid my celebration, God said to me, “This is what we have to be careful of in this season. Trees (people) who say I’m growing around the place I suffered the damage. Eventually, if they grow enough, people will not see that there is a damaged tree hiding behind all the small growth.” So I said, “Lord, are you saying there are people who are showing signs of growth in an area that is damaged?” The Lord told me, "Just because it is growing doesn’t mean that it is growing right.” Selah!

That statement right there made me pause and think about what He was actually saying. Jesus said, “I am the Vine, ye are the branches” (John 15:5). The branches are supposed to be connected to the tree. Those that are growing are growing but growing displaced and apart from the tree. I later learned that these were called “suckers.”

You can’t get so excited about growth that you can’t discern the health of the growth. You can’t afford your growth in this season to grow up WRONG. This is a good place to make a note. Don’t be focused on the growth, but pay attention to how it's growing. If it is growing apart from the tree, it is a danger to the tree and anything in the yard.

Just like my “suckers” were siphoning water from the tree, so does the devil attempt to steal the Word of God from us after we’ve heard it. Oftentimes, you hear speakers make a correlation between the water and the WORD of God. The devil is not afraid of you hearing a WORD because he comes to steal it after you have heard it. The devil knows that if you RECEIVE the WORD, your root system strengthens. He also knows that in the world of spirituality and growth, there’s a profound connection between our roots and the power of resurrection.

So, we must be mindful of whether we grow separately, detached from the collective, or if we grow while remaining firmly attached to the original source of our faith—the “vine,” which symbolizes Jesus.

Remaining connected to the Vine won’t always be easy when the devil is doing everything in his power to pry us from Him. How relieving it is, then, that supernatural strength shows up not when we are strong but when we are weak. Therefore, we get God’s strength when we run out of our own. This happens when things look impossible, are hopeless, out of choices, can’t see our way through, or are physically weak. This divine strength manifests in a spirit of determination—the driving force behind every breakthrough.

As God’s children, we shouldn’t give in to the pressure, no matter how tough it may seem. We can’t throw in the towel. Keep applying the pressure, stay determined, don’t accept the denial, and watch that which has been holding you back give in to your resolve. Remain in relentless pursuit of the SON.